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Congress: retrospect
Congress: retrospect An alternate delegate and an exhibitor reflect on the 23rd annual AORN Congress in Miami Beach
Anne Staggs, RN The Miami Congress was not truly a realization to me until two days before I was to leave for Miami Beach. As a full-time working mother of two small children, I needed to justify a long and expensive trip. With encouragement from my husband, friends, and hospital, I boarded the plane, anticipating a week of learning, making new friends, having a good time, and resting. As an alternate delegate to Congress, I felt a responsibility to myself, my local chapter, and the total AORN organization. To me, this meant attending the educational sessions and being present at the House of Delegates. The influence of committed, hardworking people within my local chapter made me look forward to the involvement that Congress demanded. I came away from the first business session confused at the general lack of knowledge and communication among the delegates concerning issues vital to the nursing profession and patient care. I valued greatly the time I had spent reading the AORN Journal in preparation for Congress. Involvement with experienced, dedicated
Anne Staggs, RN, is cardiovascular nurse specialist and head nurse, OR, Memorial Hospital, Houston, Tex.
people at the local chapter level helped me form my own opinions about the issues at hand. During the week, the delegates explored, communicated, and rallied together. The impact on nursing, personally and professionally, was overwhelming. Each day, I returned to my hotel, supersaturated from stimulating educational sessions and reflecting personal encounters. It was during these times that I realized my responsibility to operating room nursing and AORN. Membership in this powerful organization meant much to future patient care and every professional nurse's career. I became aware of AORN's responsibility, influence, and respectability in determining quality patient care in the health care field. I began to appreciate the structure and organization that allows even the smallest chapter or single member to communicate and interact with the Headquarters staff, executives, and Board of Directors.
I was impressed with the amount of time, hard work, and money directed toward the technical and scientific exhibits. It afforded many the opportunity to see and compare products, talk with the representatives, and appreciate the effort and dedication involved in producing and promoting quality patient products.
AORN Journal, May 1976, Vol23, No 6
1075
Renewed friendships brought hours of serious discussion and also much laughter as we recalled good times. New friendships made permanent precious impressions, and I look forward to Anaheim with enthusiasm. One week granted hours of beautiful meals, fantastic entertainment, gracious hospitality, and special times. As for rest . . . I’m exhausted! “I will rest now and let the realizations that have come to me sink into my being. Out of the stillness . . . the awareness.”’ Growth in every aspect of nursing life is available through membership and participation in AORN. Regional. institutes, chapter seminars, and local programs educate the membership on self-concept, management, leadership, preoperative and postoperative visits, legal involvements, and technical and scientific information as well as many other topics. Motivation for self-improvement is unique to the individual. Obviously, the competent leaders in this organization are motivated to reach the high levels of excellence they represent. At every encounter, I was encouraged to learn, share, grow, and discover. Congress, for me, was the ultimate learning experience. Early in the evening, as my homeward plane rose to heights above beautiful Miami Beach, I took one last look toward the familiar rows of hotels and waves lapping the sand. A full moon was shining in all its brilliance, and l became aware of the moonlight on the water that radiated over the entire city. I knew the results of the Congress would radiate over the entire profession of nursing. Notes 1. Maureen McCormack, “Is religion viable today,“ AORN Journal (March 1976) 654.
Jacob Weisberg “Thank you ladies. Thank you for a wonderful meeting.” If exhibitors could sing, such would be our chorus as we return to our offices and territories after a most successful AORN Congress in Miami Beach. What made it so? Planning? Probably. Execution? Definitely. We really don’t know the details; we just marvel at them and benefit by the results. We arrived early, and so did our exhibits. To be sure there were always the usual last minute trials and tribulations attendant to setting up booths that have traveled and bumped thousands of miles. But when the ribbon was cut on Tuesday at 11 am and you surged into the exhibit area, we were ready. We came to Miami Beach to talk with you, and you made yourselves available. From the moment you entered, you questioned, you listened, you circulated. Sure, you tended to head to your favorites first, the bigger companies with their large island displays, the companies whose representatives you’ve seen regularly, but you were fair, you were in search of knowledge, and you also stopped at the smaller booths and gave us all a chance to show our wares. You were prompt. You came at 11 am and left by 3 pm. We had time to prepare for you. We could gather our energies for four hours of concentrated effort, knowing there would be time to relax thereafter. You were resourceful. The program had something for everyone, including the exhibitors if we wanted to taste. I, for one, chose to attend the Wednesday morning workshop, “Assertive behavior for OR nurses.” As I said to many of you in private conversations, I found it hard to believe you needed training in assertiveness, yet there you were, filling a giant room to capacity to listen to Carol and Clark Alexander share their knowledge and feelings with us. I even got to be part of the role playing exercise, and would you believe it, I was #1 so I got to
Jacob Weisberg is manager, germicide products, West Chemical Products, Long Island City, NY.
1076
AORN Journal, May 1976, V o l 2 3 , No 6
be the scrub nurse to bear the brunt of Dr Blacks attack and temper tantrum with the drill. I tried to be assertive, my partner even told me I was; but I surely didn't think of asking Dr Black to pay for the drill. Judging by the audience reaction in its standing ovation, everyone benefited from the presentation so I'm looking forward to seeing you in the operating room. Our behavior towards each other could set a model for assertiveness and constructiveness. You were ingenious. The way you had those buses running all over Miami Beach, up Collins Avenue, to the hotels and to the Convention Center. Always the right bus going in the right direction and never crowded. You were gracious in your attitude towards us in your receptivity and your hospitality. You were precise. The evening at the Seaquarium could have been a disaster. Thousands of people coming into one place at one time, hungry, anxious to eat, waiting to be entertained, but the organization was flawless. The buses left in a stream, no pushing, no shoving. At the Seaquarium, the food line moved quickly. The positioning of food service personnel was excellent. They provided an air of assuredness so we could all relax and know we'd get to eat soon. You were lucky. The weather held out beautifully. The smiles on all our faces matched the radiance of the sun. I know we'll all have a job trying to convince our peers we really were working at the convention notwithstanding the sunburnt faces and looks of contentment. Above all, you were ladies and professionals, members of AORN devoted to your duties, sincere in your desires to grow, and willing to allow us to be part of the OR health team. Thank you, we loved it and look forward to it again next year.
1078
State aid for preschool handicapped For the first time, states this year will receive special assistance in implementing broad-scale plans for preschool handicapped children, according to the Office of Education of the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. The help will come from the Bureau of Education for the Handicapped through its Early Childhood Education Program. That program is designed to identify problems and provide programs for handicapped children in their early years, thus preventing or reducing some of the detrimental effects of handicaps. One of the ways the program does this is through classroom demonstration projects which will continue to be funded. In addition, under proposed regulations, money would be earmarked for technical assistance to state education agencies to implement statewide plans for preschool and early education for handicapped children. State education agencies would receive one-time special financial assistance to enable them to assess their current programs for these handicapped children and set up a statewide coordinated plan with all relevant agencies to spread special services to these children.
Bill seeks malpractice crisis causes, costs Citing the increasing costs of medical insurance to patients, doctors, and hospitals alike, Sen Bill Brock (R-Tenn) has introduced legislation to investigate the medical malpractice insurance crisis and to determine the root causes. Sen Brock is requesting a study by the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare to examine the direct and indirect costs of medical malpractice, and the causes of the insurance cost explosion. To be included in the study is research into medical injury problems and alternatives to litigation for the settlement of claims. The findings would be submitted to Congress within a year and the results would be made available to the states.
AORN Journal, May 1976, Vol23, No 6
Anne Staggs, RN The Miami Congress was not truly a realization to me until two days before I was to leave for Miami Beach. As a full-time working mother of two small children, I needed to justify a long and expensive trip. With encouragement from my husband, friends, and hospital, I boarded the plane, anticipating a week of learning, making new friends, having a good time, and resting. As an alternate delegate to Congress, I felt a responsibility to myself, my local chapter, and the total AORN organization. To me, this meant attending the educational sessions and being present at the House of Delegates. The influence of committed, hardworking people within my local chapter made me look forward to the involvement that Congress demanded. I came away from the first business session confused at the general lack of knowledge and communication among the delegates concerning issues vital to the nursing profession and patient care. I valued greatly the time I had spent reading the AORN Journal in preparation for Congress. Involvement with experienced, dedicated
Anne Staggs, RN, is cardiovascular nurse specialist and head nurse, OR, Memorial Hospital, Houston, Tex.
people at the local chapter level helped me form my own opinions about the issues at hand. During the week, the delegates explored, communicated, and rallied together. The impact on nursing, personally and professionally, was overwhelming. Each day, I returned to my hotel, supersaturated from stimulating educational sessions and reflecting personal encounters. It was during these times that I realized my responsibility to operating room nursing and AORN. Membership in this powerful organization meant much to future patient care and every professional nurse's career. I became aware of AORN's responsibility, influence, and respectability in determining quality patient care in the health care field. I began to appreciate the structure and organization that allows even the smallest chapter or single member to communicate and interact with the Headquarters staff, executives, and Board of Directors.
I was impressed with the amount of time, hard work, and money directed toward the technical and scientific exhibits. It afforded many the opportunity to see and compare products, talk with the representatives, and appreciate the effort and dedication involved in producing and promoting quality patient products.
AORN Journal, May 1976, Vol23, No 6
1075
Renewed friendships brought hours of serious discussion and also much laughter as we recalled good times. New friendships made permanent precious impressions, and I look forward to Anaheim with enthusiasm. One week granted hours of beautiful meals, fantastic entertainment, gracious hospitality, and special times. As for rest . . . I’m exhausted! “I will rest now and let the realizations that have come to me sink into my being. Out of the stillness . . . the awareness.”’ Growth in every aspect of nursing life is available through membership and participation in AORN. Regional. institutes, chapter seminars, and local programs educate the membership on self-concept, management, leadership, preoperative and postoperative visits, legal involvements, and technical and scientific information as well as many other topics. Motivation for self-improvement is unique to the individual. Obviously, the competent leaders in this organization are motivated to reach the high levels of excellence they represent. At every encounter, I was encouraged to learn, share, grow, and discover. Congress, for me, was the ultimate learning experience. Early in the evening, as my homeward plane rose to heights above beautiful Miami Beach, I took one last look toward the familiar rows of hotels and waves lapping the sand. A full moon was shining in all its brilliance, and l became aware of the moonlight on the water that radiated over the entire city. I knew the results of the Congress would radiate over the entire profession of nursing. Notes 1. Maureen McCormack, “Is religion viable today,“ AORN Journal (March 1976) 654.
Jacob Weisberg “Thank you ladies. Thank you for a wonderful meeting.” If exhibitors could sing, such would be our chorus as we return to our offices and territories after a most successful AORN Congress in Miami Beach. What made it so? Planning? Probably. Execution? Definitely. We really don’t know the details; we just marvel at them and benefit by the results. We arrived early, and so did our exhibits. To be sure there were always the usual last minute trials and tribulations attendant to setting up booths that have traveled and bumped thousands of miles. But when the ribbon was cut on Tuesday at 11 am and you surged into the exhibit area, we were ready. We came to Miami Beach to talk with you, and you made yourselves available. From the moment you entered, you questioned, you listened, you circulated. Sure, you tended to head to your favorites first, the bigger companies with their large island displays, the companies whose representatives you’ve seen regularly, but you were fair, you were in search of knowledge, and you also stopped at the smaller booths and gave us all a chance to show our wares. You were prompt. You came at 11 am and left by 3 pm. We had time to prepare for you. We could gather our energies for four hours of concentrated effort, knowing there would be time to relax thereafter. You were resourceful. The program had something for everyone, including the exhibitors if we wanted to taste. I, for one, chose to attend the Wednesday morning workshop, “Assertive behavior for OR nurses.” As I said to many of you in private conversations, I found it hard to believe you needed training in assertiveness, yet there you were, filling a giant room to capacity to listen to Carol and Clark Alexander share their knowledge and feelings with us. I even got to be part of the role playing exercise, and would you believe it, I was #1 so I got to
Jacob Weisberg is manager, germicide products, West Chemical Products, Long Island City, NY.
1076
AORN Journal, May 1976, V o l 2 3 , No 6
be the scrub nurse to bear the brunt of Dr Blacks attack and temper tantrum with the drill. I tried to be assertive, my partner even told me I was; but I surely didn't think of asking Dr Black to pay for the drill. Judging by the audience reaction in its standing ovation, everyone benefited from the presentation so I'm looking forward to seeing you in the operating room. Our behavior towards each other could set a model for assertiveness and constructiveness. You were ingenious. The way you had those buses running all over Miami Beach, up Collins Avenue, to the hotels and to the Convention Center. Always the right bus going in the right direction and never crowded. You were gracious in your attitude towards us in your receptivity and your hospitality. You were precise. The evening at the Seaquarium could have been a disaster. Thousands of people coming into one place at one time, hungry, anxious to eat, waiting to be entertained, but the organization was flawless. The buses left in a stream, no pushing, no shoving. At the Seaquarium, the food line moved quickly. The positioning of food service personnel was excellent. They provided an air of assuredness so we could all relax and know we'd get to eat soon. You were lucky. The weather held out beautifully. The smiles on all our faces matched the radiance of the sun. I know we'll all have a job trying to convince our peers we really were working at the convention notwithstanding the sunburnt faces and looks of contentment. Above all, you were ladies and professionals, members of AORN devoted to your duties, sincere in your desires to grow, and willing to allow us to be part of the OR health team. Thank you, we loved it and look forward to it again next year.
1078
State aid for preschool handicapped For the first time, states this year will receive special assistance in implementing broad-scale plans for preschool handicapped children, according to the Office of Education of the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. The help will come from the Bureau of Education for the Handicapped through its Early Childhood Education Program. That program is designed to identify problems and provide programs for handicapped children in their early years, thus preventing or reducing some of the detrimental effects of handicaps. One of the ways the program does this is through classroom demonstration projects which will continue to be funded. In addition, under proposed regulations, money would be earmarked for technical assistance to state education agencies to implement statewide plans for preschool and early education for handicapped children. State education agencies would receive one-time special financial assistance to enable them to assess their current programs for these handicapped children and set up a statewide coordinated plan with all relevant agencies to spread special services to these children.
Bill seeks malpractice crisis causes, costs Citing the increasing costs of medical insurance to patients, doctors, and hospitals alike, Sen Bill Brock (R-Tenn) has introduced legislation to investigate the medical malpractice insurance crisis and to determine the root causes. Sen Brock is requesting a study by the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare to examine the direct and indirect costs of medical malpractice, and the causes of the insurance cost explosion. To be included in the study is research into medical injury problems and alternatives to litigation for the settlement of claims. The findings would be submitted to Congress within a year and the results would be made available to the states.
AORN Journal, May 1976, Vol23, No 6